canadian tv not allowed to show war casulties' coming home

starting to look a lot like the u.s. :(
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/1101AP_Canada_Fallen_Soldiers.html
edit: i do sorta agree with trying to keep things private for the families… it's just that this seems exactly like what the states did early on in iraq

yea, saw that on the news tonight. i dont like it one bit. doesnt surprise me though, the current conservatives are wanna be republicans any how.

its hard to get recruits if people are watching coffins coming out of a plane.

Well thats the reality of war, we shouldnt be hiding this from possible soldiers or the public.

I dont think it's hiding anything from the public. it's more a decenty thing for the families that are there. sure there are some who should be able to see it (ie: the family memebers that couldnt be there) but really… if we were complaining about not covering their arrvial, we'd be complaining about allowing press to 'exploit' the situation and the families involved. IMO i think it was done the best way possible. this has nothing to do with coversativism, it's simply a decenty thing for the dead soldier's families.

i know i wouldn't want my family exposed to the media if i died in the same manner…

people die in war, its a reality and a consequence and not something that should be censored.

there's censorship and then there's potentially invasive media on a families dead son return to canada. the coverage today was still pretty good… but it was from a distance. i see it as the families have more rights to their dead then the country does.

i'm on a fine line, i know. but i think it was done well… some coverage with respect for the families that were attenance. this was a good compromise.

i think its a good move.

people who join the military do so knowing they could die. their job is to get shot at first, before anyone else. it's tough on them, as well as their families knowing the environments of war and the risks involved. when a soldier is killed and returns home I don't think it's the place of the media to harass and intrude on the loved ones mourning a loss.

while i'm not a conservative, nor i do agree with glorifying war through censoring its consequences, i think that this is a limit that should be in place to control media pressures on mourning families. the media, and people especially, seem to forget that the soldiers who go to war signed up for it. there is alot different from banning the filming of drafted soldiers coffins and those of enlisted soldiers.

The people who should be asked about this have been asked how they feel. They are the families and those soldiers who are in Afghanistan as we speak. Yet they can't agree. The families say yes while the soldiers say leave it be.

If the media is to be involved in the funeral or the family wishes to make a public statement then let the families invite the media in. Remember that one family will want the media there while the next wants the media well away from them.

If the media is not invited then they should respect that and keep some distance. What I find more disturbing is the public reaction.

For years the soldiers of Canada went to dangerous places to help. 80plus came home in a casket due to incidents. They flew into CFB Trenton and where met by families and taken home. No media was ever there. No headlines, no interviews, etc. The only notice was a tiny report on page 20 of the Vancouver Sun.

Being PC was more important than anything else. While Canada ignored them, sometimes to the point that it seemed that we wanted them to fail. They trained hard and still did the job's that where asked of them.

I think it's just more bullshit from Stephen "I wanna be George Bush when I grow up" Harper.

The media never harass anyone at these events, hell they don't usually even ask questions or talk to anyone so as not to be invasive or disrespectful to the families. Harper is being told what to do by the US and why should anyone be suprised considering the crush he has on George.

The officials elected by we the tax paying public have made the decisions to send these people to war or not. We have the right to see and hear how the conflict our country is involved in is going, and share in the grief when a Canadian soldier is killed. Just to be clear, these are Canadian soldiers, not Conservate soldiers.

Harper is doing everything George Bush style when it comes to the media, and it's going to bite him in the ass real fast. Bush has his lowest rating ever from the US public and the media has helped in that, because he's trying to control the media so much.

Talking to friends @ Global, the conservatives are gonna be real fucked when the next election comes. Most of the media groups that aren't blatantly pro Harper and even a few that were just aren't going to give them much face time during an election because they obviously don't want to be in the public eye.

it is complete BS. why is no one able to see the reality of what is happening? whether or not you agree with the war, it should based on real facts and not some abstract idea.

show the bodies, show the parents, show the whole fucking thing.

there is alot different from banning the filming of drafted soldiers coffins and those of enlisted soldiers.

i hope when i die it is not at a war where i was drafted, it hurts more.

if i was pro war i would want to see it as well to honour the men and women giving their lives.

but now i want it seen because i think more and more people are realizing the war on islam is simply wasting human life and making this world a very dangerous place.

I cant believe they wont lower the fucking flag. Now thats bullshit.

As far as I know, it was an 80 year tradition to only lower the flag for soldiers on Remembrance day. The Liberals broke the tradition, and the Conservatives just put it back in place. I believe there are two reasons for the tradition:

1. We've been involved in a couple of wars where people were dying daily. We would have had a couple of years where it would have been at half mast every day for months if not years (WWII anyone?). The whole flag-lowering thing loses it's meaning if it happens every day.

2. If we lower it for the death of every soldier that dies, what about cops that die on duty? Or firemen? Or any other person entrusted with protecting the public?

Personally, I'd be okay with no tv cameras, but still photographs that have to be okayed by which ever family is in the picture. Gives the public a view, but doesn't invade families' privacy. Plus, stills can be far more moving.

So where were all your voices demanding flag lowering and full media coverage of soldiers killed on duty in places like Cyprus? Where was all your concern and care?

You where all pretty much ignoring and not caring about our soldiers for almost 20 years.

It would appear most of you are using them and the whole situation as a oppurtunity to bash Harper and Bush. To fuel your hatred of them. That is almost childish.

Maybe this is the time to go ask some soldiers what they feel should be done. Go to the Seaforth Highlander's, the Royal Westminster Regiment, the British Columbia Regiment, The Rocky Mountain Rangers, The Canadian Scottish Regiment, The Engineer Regiment, The Service Battalion in Richmond, 5th and 12th Field Artillery, not counting the other army units.

Those are the people who are stepping and have stepped forward to take dangerous risks. Don't treat them all like their worthless. Ask them , the warriors what should be done. All we are is armchair generals to them.

And while you talk to them buy them a beer and say thank you for the work they do. Because thanking them is the ultimate way to show them respect and appreciation.

Ducimus